How Trump's approach with Iran mirrors similar choices made with North Korea

NPR | By Anthony Kuhn

Published May 18, 2026 at 4:47 AM EDT

Trump shifts from diplomacy to force on Iran's nuclear ambitions, echoing past U.S. dilemmas with North Korea, where similar choices by presidents produced very different outcomes.

Anthony Kuhn

Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.

See stories by Anthony Kuhn

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